Merit badge days are often hosted by local councils, districts, troops, civic groups, fraternities, or chartered organizations and held at a college campus, high school, civic area or during a camporee. Many merit badge events are held once a year as an indoor, outdoor, or combination event.

The largest merit badge event is the National Jamboree Merit Badge Midway, established at Fort A.P. Hill. Since 1981, this program has been held at each jamboree and is expected to feature hundreds of counselors offering nearly 100 merit badges to thousands of Boy Scouts at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree.

Contents

Overview

A merit badge event let's Scouts learn about sports, crafts, science, trades, business, and future careers. An event may focus on a single merit badge or a variety of fields that might not normally be available. Observatories, planetariums, parks, museums, ships, colleges, universities, police, and fire departments may offer special events available only to Scouts and only one day each year. Scouts might learn first-hand from dentists, veterinaries, doctors, lawyers, financial planners, engineers, chemists, artists, astronomers, scientists, firemen, policemen, and other experts.

Merit badge events may also offer training in Scout skills through First Class, adult training, and youth leader training. Regardless of the setting or topics, the goal is to have fun as you learn new skills and gain knowledge.

Often certain requirements must be completed outside of the merit badge day either as preparation or with a merit badge counselor at a later date. A merit badge day may focus on a single merit badge or offer a variety of topics such as:

Merit Badge Requirements and Policies

Qualified: "They must be men and women of good character, age 18 or older, and recognized as having the skills and education in the subjects for which they are to serve as merit badge counselors, as well as the ability to work with Scout-age boys. - Advancement Policies #33088, p. 13

Each Scout demonstrates the skills and knowledge for each requirement. Many merit badge events use Merit Badge Worksheets to allow Merit Badge Counselors to offer group instruction but still test each Scout individually. The counselor can see who is understanding and who will need more time. Optional worksheets require the Scout to be an active listener, not just hearing words, but showing understanding of concepts.

Controversies

Many merit badge events follow the Boy Scout Requirements and Advancement Policies. But some merit badge events instead state that it is the merit badge counselor, not the Scout, who is to demonstrate the skills and knowledge. They test the merit badge counselor, not the Scouts.

Instead of each Scout being tested individually, at the $75 SeaWorld Boy Scout sleepover, every participant gets pizza, a t-shirt, and completes a merit badge: "[ http://www.seaworld.org/adventure-camps/swt/sleepover/group/boy-scout.htm Scouts who participate will receive certificate of completion for the Mammal Study merit badge , a complimentary t-shirt, pizza dinner and continental breakfast.]"

Scouting Magazine Articles

Merit Badges and Five Arrows- South Florida Council's annual college, 900 Scouts earn all or part of more than 2,800 merit badges, while another 400 Scouts work toward First Class in a special advancement program.

Rendezvous at Ripley - Five councils team with a National Guard facility to host 9,000 campers at a mega camporee filled with history, action centers, and merit badge workshops.

A Boost Toward Eagle - A council's special camp helps older Scouts move up the Trail to Eagle by offering instruction in required merit badges - plus a healthy dose of high adventure.

Seeing Beyond Disabilities - A special camporee lets Scouts personally experience the impact of different physical handicaps and also realize that such limitations need not keep a person from living a full life.

"Scouts that do not complete all of the requirements for a particular merit badge at the Eagle Quest will need to complete the badge with a registered merit badge counselor approved for that particular badge back in their unit."

"Each instructor will issue assignments to be completed by the Scout between session."

"Each of the programs below was developed to meet the needs of the respective badges, and staff at the Foundation are certified merit badge counselors. Some merit badges require more than one visit to the Foundation or extra activities to be done by the individual scout."

"Inability to answer questions or show proficiency of skills will result in non-receipt of the Merit Badge. In such a case there will be no refund of any fees. Scouts who do not receive the badge on their first attempt can return within 4 months for a fee of $10.00."

"To earn your merit badge, you will have to answer the questions posed in this booklet. Members of Alpha Chi Sigma, the professional chemistry fraternity, will aid you by leading discussions of the topics, answering questions, performing demonstrations, and helping you to do experiments."